“Basically, you’re going to get a lot of answers to questions you’ve had for a while,” King says, adding, “and we, of course, pose more questions. You’ll learn a lot about Matt’s dad, and the history of [the Donovan] family in Mystic Falls. You’ll also see Damon and Stefan, and what happens next for them.”

(The history of the Donovan family, eh? During a recent visit to the Vampire Diaries set, Zach Roerig told TVLine how bummed he was that the producers dropped an early storyline about Matt’s mom being a succubus, which would make Matt an incubus. Can you even imagine?)

OK, now here’s the biggie: “When we come back in January,” King says, “there’s going to be a time jump. Not another three-year one, but it’s a time jump.”

As for what the rest of the season has in store for Mystic Falls’ finest, King admits she’s totally in the dark.

“[Executive producer Julie Plec] hasn’t been in town, so I haven’t been able to give her a big ol’ glass of wine and get answers out of her,” she says. “I knew a couple of different options from before, but I think they might have changed at this point.”

So, how are you hoping The Vampire Diaries will end in 2017? Drop your ideas in a comment below.